Areas, mostly around the University campus, which were until a few months back considered affordable for those staying on rent, are suddenly going out of reach, and the affected people believe this hike is here to stay.

Hostel and PG accommodation that were last year available for Rs 5,000 now cost anywhere between Rs 8,000 and Rs 9,000, and this steep hike has been most visible in areas around the campus like Mukherjee Nagar, Indra Nagar, Vijay Nagar and Civil Lines.

This steep hike is not only affecting students, but is rather having a blanket impact.

"This is not a student-centric issue. It has larger implications as it is affecting the lower middle class and the working class people in several areas of the city," said Priyanshu, who is one of the activists leading a campaign seeking government intervention to regulate rents.

Source: Economic Times CWG-effect: Living in the city becomes costlier

A tiny servant quarters with attached toilet, but minus the kitchen, costs Rs 10,000 per month on Mall Road, while a three-bed air-conditioned PG accommodation for girls costs around Rs 8,000 in Hudson Lane and Vijay Nagar. The cheapest option appears to be tiny rooms in far-flung Nehru Vihar and Gandhi Vihar which come for around Rs 6,000 and without any sort of ventilation.

Neha Suri, a third-year student of IP College from Uttar Pradesh, has been looking for a room for the last three weeks only to be dumfounded by the rent every time she manages to find one. "My parents can afford to pay for the accommodation, but I feel guilty making them spend so much. I have six siblings and four of us are still studying," she says. Those who cannot afford North Campus, are now looking at Timarpur where the rooms are a little cheaper, she adds.

Source: The Indian Express By Hamari Jamatia Rs 10,000 for one-room PG, DU students pay for the Games

Most college hostels are undergoing renovation process to accommodate the international guests who will arrive before and during the Games and have asked the students to vacate the hostels till the first week of November.

Most colleges offering hostels, including Miranda House, Ramjas, SRCC, Hindu and Hansraj and LSR, will complete the allotment procedure for hostels before the session begins. However, they have told the students that the rooms will be available only in the first week of November.

The second and third year college students have been sent notices with the instructions that they should return to hostels only in November. While some colleges claim they have informed well in advance, students are having a hard time finding a feasible option outside the hostels.

Source: The Tribune By Jyoti Rai Thanks to CWG, no hostel for DU students till November

And now with Metro expected to roll out any time this year, the place has acquired a new dimension for students. Even if they are enrolled in colleges in North Campus, they can think of staying in south Delhi. It's conveniently located. With bus service for all routes and easy availability of autos, most places in Delhi are easily accessible from here.

Hostels and PG accommodations ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 14,000 are available in the area. Mostly well-furnished, the hostels offer beds, almirah, tables and chairs, coolers, inverters, fridge, cable connection, geysers and water purifiers. Some hostels even provide AC, washing machine and maids for the occupants. All that is essential for running a household is provided to the tenants.

``We serve three meals per day. But the occupants can also cook themselves. Tiffin system is also another option,'' says Ashok Anand, owner of a hostel in Lajpat Nagar.

Security is of utmost concern for hostel-owners. While security guards are deployed 24X7 in most hostels, a few have even installed CCTVs, electronic doors and security lights on the hostel premises. ``Our task does not end with providing accommodation to girls. We take full accountability for their security and welfare,'' said Sunny, owner of a hostel in DLF Colony, South Extension-I.

To many occupants, these hostels are more than paid accommodations. ``It's my second home. I am fond of my hostel. I feel at home here. It is well located; the market is just a few metres away, and it's in a residential area too,'' said Kirti Singh, who stays in a hostel in South Extension.

Numerous hostels and PGs are also available in Safdarjung Enclave and Kotla at cheaper rent. The options are endless and you have to take your pick. So choose wisely.

• Snazzy South
  
• Affordable West

“No Delhiite should have any feeling of insecurity. We are here to integrate everyone, not to isolate anyone,” she said after a meeting with the office bearers of North Eastern Students Union (NESU).

The NESU office bearers along with three member of parliament - Oscar Fernandes, Takom Sanjoy and Thokchom Meniya - met Dikshit at the Delhi secretariat here.

Last week, the students from the northeastern states held a protest against the rising crime against their community in Delhi. While there have been several cases of molestation and crimes against the community members, the angry protests were triggered by the murder of a Naga girl a few days ago.

Ramchanphy Hongray, 19, was strangulated by her neighbour Pushpum Sinha, a PhD scholar of IIT, in her Munirka home in south Delhi.

Source: Thaindian.com Hostel for northeastern students in south Delhi: Dikshit

"Girls studying in a recognised school in educationally backward blocks run by any authority state, district or any NGO with a valid certificate from the school headmaster will be eligible to stay in these hostels," the ministry stated, adding that it sought to admit 50 per cent girls hailing from SCs, STs and OBCs.

The hostels would be built in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, or in the schools chosen by the respective state government. "The KGB Vidyalaya students will be given preference in accommodation. In blocks with no KGB vidyalayas, students from all government or aided schools in the vicinity of the hostel will be eligible," the press statement said. An amount of Rs 2,000 crore has been set aside for the scheme under the 11th Plan.

The ministry has henceforth decided to scrap the old scheme, saying in a statement that fund users were exploiting procedural gaps in the old scheme.

The TISS studied the old scheme in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa and said it needed an urgent revamp. The new scheme would give financial assistance for building and running girls hostels by state governments in educationally backward blocks, a press statement from the HRD ministry said. It added that the new Rs 2,000 crore scheme to be implemented from this financial year includes recurring grants to meet residents' need. Target groups would be girls students of classes IX to XII and from minority communities and BPL families.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) "gave its approval for a revised centrally sponsored scheme for construction and running of girls' hostels for students of secondary and higher secondary schools in each of the educationally backward blocks during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12)", Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.

"The CCEA also gave its approval to incur expenditure of Rs.2,000 crore (Rs.20 billion) as the central share with a sharing pattern of 90:10 between the centre and the states," he added after the meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The revised scheme provides for construction of 3,500 hostels through state governments in all the educationally backward blocks in the country in addition to recurring grants to meet the needs of inmates.

The decision was taken in view of the recent developments in the Jamia Nagar neighbourhood, where students were being evicted from their rented accommodation following the September 19 encounter that took place in L-18, Batla House. Earlier, TOI had reported that over 2,500 students and bachelor professionals were asked by their landlords to vacate from localities such as Batla House, Zakir Nagar and Jamia Nagar following large scale fear-psychosis of police raids.

 The announcement was made by Mushirul Hasan, VC, JMI. The hostels would be ready in eight months. The university is also hosting a symposium at the Ansari auditorium on October 7. The theme of the meet is `restoring confidence in Jamia neighbourhood'.

Sharing the details, Prof. V.K. Jain, who is taking over as the Dean of Students at JNU on Friday, said: "Though the target for completion of the hostel is September 30, we are taking into account some unforeseen problems. We are hoping that by this year-end it will be ready."

A member of the faculty at the School of Environmental Sciences, Prof. Jain has been the Chief Proctor and Associate Dean of Students before taking up his new assignment.The new mixed hostel will accommodate 540 students with two wings each for boys and girls. With this, the number of hostels at JNU will rise to 16.

"The new hostel will enable us to accommodate more students. Our priority is to give hostel seats to as many students as possible. We want all outstation students to get accommodation in a reasonable time. This year JNU has given admission to 1,836 regular students (not taking into account part-time students), compared to 1,554 in 2007-08," said Prof. Jain.

These areas have a number of cheap eating joints, coaching centres and photocopy shops, which can be a boon during the exam season. The rent for a single room on sharing basis can be anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000. Sanjay Singh, owner of one such PG in RK Puram, said, "We keep the rents flexible. It can be anywhere between Rs 2,200 and Rs 3,500. All the rooms here are available on sharing basis. Each room can house between two to three students."

For students studying in colleges like Sri Venkateswara College, Ram Lal Anand and ARSD Satya Niketan the best option is available in front of them.

The rents in Satya Niketan are cheap; the average monthly rent for a PG accommodation is Rs 3500, which includes three meals, one bed and one study table. Two to four students usually share one room.